Health ministry expands child return-home pilot to South Gyeongsang

The health ministry said Tuesday it selected South Gyeongsang Province for a pilot supporting children separated from their families, citing disparities in care tied to municipal resources.

The ministry chose the province after a June 16-July 13 call for applicants, based on an evaluation of local-government project plans and site inspections.

Children separated from their families after abuse or a parent's death spend an initial-protection period before authorities make longer-term placement decisions. The ministry said about 21,000 children aged 0 to 17 require protection, with about 2,000 newly entering the system each year, including 1,975 in 2025.

South Gyeongsang will start in August, expanding the programme to two regional governments after Incheon joined in July 2025. All children entering initial protection there will receive psychological assessments and trauma treatment. Children considered likely to return to their families will receive family-recovery programmes, while those needing longer-term protection will be offered family-based care through regional and national support beyond their municipalities. In Incheon, all 71 children who entered initial protection in the first half of 2026 received services.

"The initial-protection period is a critical window that can determine whether a child returns to their family of origin and offers the most effective time to address psychological wounds," Kim Hyeon-suk, the ministry's population and child policy director, said.